Inseparable Bond
by purebloodedblack
Summary: Everyone knows Mrs. Norris and Filch have an unusually close bond, but have you ever wondered how the relationship began?
1. The Meeting

**Inseparable Bond**

by purebloodedblack

* * *

Argus Filch was playing in his garden.

His parents were having yet another heated conversation, and he wanted some time away from it. It was times like these that he wished for a sibling - or even just a friend.

He was sitting on the steps of his front door, casually bouncing a ball, when he heard his mother shout. The sudden shriek caused Argus to flinch, and the ball fell from his grip. It rolled down the garden path and on to the street, zooming down the hill that the Filch household was planted on.

Argus sighed and stood up, and began chasing after the ball - hoping to catch it before it rolled onto the main road.

He jogged after the ball, and slowed as he neared the bottom.

He noticed a girl, around his age, pick it up.

"That's _mine_!" he yelled to her.

The girl jumped.

"Oh, I'm - I'm sorry." She stuttered.

Argus stopped an arms reach from her.

"It's all right." He replied, "Who are you, anyway?" he asked.

Argus had never seen another child around his street. And he definitely would have remembered seeing a girl as pretty as this one.

The girl blushed and tucked some of her wild, dust-coloured hair behind her ear.

"My name is Annabel Norris. I live over there."

She pointed to a big, fancy house on the corner of the road. It had two sleek, black cars parked outside.

Argus gasped.

He had walked past the Norris' house for years - on his way to the shops and school - but he had only ever seen Mr. Norris. He assumed he had a wife, but he never knew there were children in the house.

Argus immediately thought back to the times he heard his parents often complain about Mr. Norris.

'_It's because people like them that we have to ration. Using up all that fuel - two cars he has. _**_Two_**_!_' his father had moaned, just nights ago.

"I'm Argus Filch. I live up at the top." He nodded back towards his house.

Annabel extended her hand, "It's nice to meet you." she said.

Argus shook it, "It's nice to meet you, too." he agreed.

They smiled to each other, and their friendship began.

* * *

_A/N: Chapters will get longer as we go on! And, umm, don't worry - it won't get too graphic... _


	2. The Build-Up

"Do it again!"

Argus laughed. "I can't, I swear!"

"But I _want_ you to do it again." Annabel moaned.

"As you wish, _Ms. Norris_."

Argus teased her with the nickname he'd use whenever she acted bratty. The attitude worked around her parents, and was the cause of her getting whatever she pleased. But Argus never stood for it, and let her know with the nickname she had secretly grown to like - as it made her feel important.

Argus closed his eyes and frowned. He tried to focus on making the sticks in front of them dance again. He groaned when they stayed still.

"Hm," Annabel muttered, "maybe you actually can't do magic."

Argus' eyes shot open and his frown deepened.

"I can so!" He exclaimed.

"You haven't even got your acceptance letter from Hoggywert or whatever it is." She argued.

"It's _Hogwarts_ and I'm _not even eleven yet. _I've explained this to you before, Annabel." Argus said, irritated.

He showed lots of signs of magic. There was no reason why he _wouldn't _go to Hogwarts. Even his parents agreed he would attend Hogwarts, and they rarely agreed on anything. Well, that wasn't quite true. They also agreed that it was a waste for Argus to spend so much time with a Muggle.

"Will you write to me when you leave?"

Argus scoffed. "Obviously. You're my best friend - I wouldn't be able to last a day, let alone a year, not talking to you."

Annabel smiled. "Good. I'll miss you lots and lots, you know?"

Argus pulled her into a one-arm hug.

"It's only October 10th… I won't get the letter till my birthday in May. _Anyway,_" Argus turned serious, "we have more pressing issues."

Annabel sat up and stared at him. "Like what?" She asked worriedly.

He grinned. "Halloween, of course!"

"_Oooh,_" Annabel nodded, relieved, "I've had some ideas…"

She launched into her plans of twin costumes and what routes they should take to get the most candy.

Argus quietly listened, nodding and inserting the obligatory _'yes' _where expected.

"What do you think?" She asked, some time later.

"We definitely have to go up by Headingley. There's always good stuff up there."

Annabel agreed.

"… And costumes?"

Suddenly, Argus had an idea. He pursed his lips, wondering if he would be able to manage it. Before he could explain, Mrs. Norris' voice echoed in the street.

"Annabel! Tea time!"

Annabel sulked. "That's my que to leave."

They both stood and exchanged a quick hug.

"I'll come up to yours tomorrow after school."

"Yeah, see you then."

"You know, you're lucky." Annabel paused. "It's like you're always on holiday."

"Yeah, but at least you live at home. I have to move all the way to _Scotland_."

Annabel cringed, "Oh yeah - that's true."

"_Annabel!_"

"_Coming!_" Annabel hollered back.

Annabel threw a smile at Argus and quickly turned on her heel, strutting into her house.


	3. The Incident

_A/N: Enjoy!_

* * *

Annabel thumped on the Filch's home three times before Argus answered. It was the morning of Halloween, and she needed her costume Argus had kept secret until now. Annabel wondered what it would be. He hadn't told her a thing and whenever he asked he would just tap his nose.

_'__You'll just have to wait, I guess.' _He said every time.

"You're here early." Argus exclaimed after swinging the door open.

Annabel crossed her arms and responded with a small, _"Hm."_

Argus rolled his eyes and stepped back, allowing her to pass.

Annabel strolled past him and plopped herself on his couch. She crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly.

"Okay, are you ready?" He asked, barely containing himself. After today Annabel would never call his magic 'rubbish' again.

Annabel fought a smile. "I suppose, I don't really care though." She claimed unconvincingly.

Argus clapped his hands together.

"Cats."

"_Cats_?"

"**Cats.**"

Annabel didn't understand.

"Sorry have I missed something? Cats are _so_ Primary 2, Argus."

"No, listen. I am literally going to make us cats!" He exclaimed.

"How are you going to do that?" Annabel frowned.

"Well… My dad has a whole bookcase of old magic books and in one I found a spell for a thing called Transfiguration. I am going to focus everything I have into making us real life cats for tonight."

"What?!" Annabel leaped up from the couch. "Do you really think you can do it?" He eyes gleamed with excitement.

Argus narrowed his eyes. He loved Annabel more than anything, but sometimes she got on her nerves. Like, for example, now when she yet again didm not trust her with a perfectly _easy_ task.

Argus shut his eyes and began to repeat the same thought over and over.

_'__Make Annabel a cat. Show her you can. Make her a cat.'_

He let out an earsplitting scream as every particle in his body focused on proving Annabel wrong.

Breathing heavily, he opened his eyes.

There it was.

A sandy blonde cat sat where Annabel stood moments before.

Argus smiled.

"I… done it?" He questioned to himself.

Cat-Annabel licked her front paw.

He knelt down and patted her.

"I told you. You never trusted me. I am smart, Annabel, I can do things too." He muttered.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Mr. Norris answered it and Argus could hear him urgently talking to what sounded like two other men. Before long, his father walked into the living room with two wizards. Argus had never met any wizards apart from his parents but from the way they were dressed, it was the only explanation.

"Argus, these men are here too… They think you've…" His father stumbled over his words. Eventually he sighed and asked whether or not Annabel had went home yet.

"Nope." Argus answered, simply.

The wizards exchanged looks.

"Where is she?" One asked him. He didn't look happy.

Argus nodded to the cat on his lap. "Here."

The wizards sighed.

"Oh, Argus, what did you do? You know you can't use magic around Muggles." Mr. Norris moaned.

Argus explained the costume situation to the men.

When he finished, Mr. Norris apologized and asked Argus to quickly change her back and allow the wizards to get on with their day.

Disappointed, Argus channeled his thoughts to bring back Human-Annabel. This was not how he planned the big costume reveal to go.

However, no matter how hard he tried, his magic would no longer work. Minutes went by and Annabel was still stuck in her cat form. Everyone is the room began to get agitated.

"Can _we_ do anything?" one of the wizards asked the other.

"No," the other grumbled, "only the boy can undo his underage magic. That's how it works."

After a while, Argus gave up. "I can't do it!" He sobbed.

Mr. Norris tried to console his son to the best of his ability but it evidently was not enough.

Mid-cry, Argus heard another knock at the door - this time to be answered by one of the wizards.

"Albus, I'm glad you could make it. This boy has transfigured his mate into a cat and can't fix it."

Argus' sob sub-sided and he watched the old man walk into the room. He was tall and thin with long, silver hair and a long, white beard tucked into the belt of his midnight blue robes.

"Argus, my name is Albus Dumbledore." The man introduced himself, peering over his half-moon spectacles.

"I have heard about your situation." His eyes glimmered with kindness. "While I wish to help your friend, unfortunately, the degree of your underage spell is too strong for anyone but you to undo."

"But—but… I can't do it."

"Then… Your dear friend will remain as a cat for the rest of her life."

Argus looked down. In that moment, he could literally feel the magic drain from his body. Spilling away — never to be used again


	4. The Aftermath

_A/N: Almost a year after starting this (what should have been an one-shot) fanfic, I am here with the last chapter. It's very short, as the story is actually finished, but I just wanted to officially complete it. Lol, thanks to everyone who read!_

* * *

**35 years later**

"Mrs. Norris, you little pest, where are you now?"

A 45-year-old Argus Filch wondered around the corridors searching for his best friend. They had lived together in Hogwarts since Argus turned 25-years-old and still showed no sign of magic — and, in turn, had no job prospects in the Wizarding world.

Nobody wanted to hire a Squib, even if technically he wasn't one. He lost his magic through traumatic events.

Argus didn't know why, but Dumbledore always remained close in his life after that Halloween night.

Although he never received a Hogwarts letter, Dumbledore made an exception and allowed Argus to attend — and when the other students made fun of him, Dumbledore was the one who talked to them.

He was also the one who helped Argus find a job after school. However, even with Dumbledore on his side, no one wanted to hire someone with no magical abilities. So, Dumbledore offered him a job at Hogwarts. It involved general care taking and meant Argus had to live at Hogwarts all year round (with those pesky ghosts) but Argus wasn't bothered by that. He was grateful for the opportunity.

It wasn't what the younger Argus had imagined his life would be like with Annabel. However, he didn't wish for anything else. He was happy to be spending his days with his best friend by his side - even if she was a cat.


End file.
